


Everyone Loves the Villain

by endlcss_possibilities



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-10 01:33:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14727450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/endlcss_possibilities/pseuds/endlcss_possibilities
Summary: It was like fate’s cruel trick.There was no other reason that Roman would be in this situation right now.





	Everyone Loves the Villain

**Author's Note:**

> Just a warning that there is a description of a panic attack. It's not super descriptive or anything but I just wanted to add in a little note.

It was like fate’s cruel trick.

There was no other reason that Roman would be in this situation right now.

Stuck, pressed far too close together with his worst enemy. He didn’t even know the guy’s name, that’s how much he didn’t like him! (It had nothing to do with the fact that Anxiety wouldn’t ever tell anyone his name, not at all! It was because Roman didn’t care enough to ask.)

But now Roman kind of felt that he should at least know someone’s name before he got stuck in a small space with them.

“Do you think you could maybe move your elbow out of my side?” Anxiety grumbled and Roman raised an eyebrow.

“You’re assuming that I’m taking up more room than you and that I can just move my limbs around any which way, huh?”

“I wouldn’t put it past you. You seem like that kind of guy.”

“How rude. I’m just as squashed as you are, I’ll have you know,” Roman said haughtily. “Which is why I can’t move my leg because your bony knee is jabbing my thigh. We’re stuck here until that dragon witch decides that she’s bored, so get used to it.” 

As if on cue, there was an almighty crash as the “sometimes-dragon-sometimes-witch” knocked something over with its tail. Dust seeped into their hiding spot and Anxiety turned his head as much as possible to stifle a sneeze. 

“Be quiet, will you?” Roman peeped out of a small hole in the door, but thankfully the dragon witch was too busy knocking over more walls to pay attention to a sneeze. 

“Oh, sorry I’ll stop my involuntary reaction to dust getting in my nose,” Anxiety snapped quietly. He was pale in the gloom of their hiding spot and Roman could see him twisting his fingers together nervously. In the quiet following another crash, he could hear Anxiety’s too-quick breathing, shallow and uneven.

“Are you...alright there? You didn’t get hurt when the dragon witch interrupted us, did you?” Roman asked softly and Anxiety’s head snapped up sharply, dark eyes glinting.

“I didn’t know you cared about my wellbeing.”

“I don’t,” Roman said shortly. “But I also don’t appreciate it when dragon witches barge in on situations that don’t have anything to do with them. You’re my enemy to defeat and I won’t have anyone else harming you.”

Anxiety gave a soft, breathless little laugh that quickly turned into a gasp, and his hands came up to press against the walls of their hiding spot. 

“I need to get out of here, I need...I…” Roman caught his arms quickly before he could do anything rash, suddenly realizing that Anxiety was shaking.

“Steady on, darling, you won’t help anything by going out there right now.”

“I can’t be in here anymore, I can’t let you see…” Anxiety’s voice trailed off, breathing ragged and faint. “I can’t breathe…”

“Are you...panicking?”

“No!” But the signs were all there, Anxiety was shaking like a leaf, hands trembling from where they’d landed on Roman’s arms. And Roman had known the villain was supposed to be anxiety incarnate, but he’d had no clue that it was actually a thing. He’d just thought it was...y’know, a shtick! 

“Okay, you’re going to get us caught if you don’t calm down,” Roman started and Anxiety gave a watery little snort.

“You think I’d be doing this in front of you if I had a choice?” Anxiety’s breath caught weakly at another crash and Roman could feel how quickly his heart was beating. Both it and his breathing were getting worryingly fast and Roman was actually starting to get concerned about him. (Though if he were to be honest with himself, he often found himself worrying about Anxiety, which was disturbing to him).

“You really think I want to be having a panic attack in front of you? You, of all people!” Anxiety’s voice was far too faint and Roman had had enough. Quickly, before he had time to think about it, he gently pulled Anxiety against him so that they were pressed even more closely together.

“Wh-”

“Shut up.” Roman could feel his face heating up, glad it was dark so that Anxiety couldn’t see his embarrassment. “Just...shut up and listen to me.”

To his surprise, Anxiety actually listened and for a moment, the only sounds were those of the dragon witch’s faint roars and of Anxiety’s hitched breathing. 

“Good thing we’re so close together after all,” Roman murmured, half to himself. “Just focus on me alright? Not anything going on outside, not how tiny this space is. Just focus on my breathing. You can feel it right?”

Anxiety nodded silently, trying to focus his whirling thoughts on Roman’s even breathing, on the feeling of warm arms around his waist. It took him a minute, but eventually he started to breathe more evenly, forcing himself to breathe in time with Roman, who had moved on to rubbing Anxiety’s back, which was...oddly nice?

And when Anxiety had completely calmed down, even then Roman didn’t pull away right away. He kept Anxiety close, though he moved his hands to rest on Anxiety’s arms instead of having them around his waist.

“Better?” Roman asked quietly, smiling genuinely when he got a nod in return. 

“Thank you…” Anxiety said hesitantly. “I appreciate it, really I do. I never thought you’d help me. Why  _ did _ you help me?”

“I told you, you’re my nemesis, not anyone else’s” Roman said simply. “But I’m not above helping someone in need. That’s my deal, right? I’m a prince, I have to help those who are in danger. Even if they’re in danger from their own heads, yeah?” A roguish smile was flashed in Anxiety’s direction, making him blink in surprise. 

“I...guess…”

“And I think that dragon witch has finally moved on,” Roman said after a quick peek outside. He cautiously opened the door and held a hand out for Anxiety to precede him, which the villain did gladly, tumbling out into the blessedly open air. He took a quick couple of breaths, finally fully settling himself back down before turning to Roman, who was brushing his clothes off fastidiously. The royal looked around at all of the destruction, sighed loudly, and waved a hand, sending everything magically back into its proper place, like nothing had ever happened.

“One day I’ll get that darn creature,” Roman muttered. 

“Thank you, Roman,” Anxiety said quietly. When Roman looked over, Anxiety quickly looked down, fiddling with his hands again. But he was smiling shyly, which Roman counted as a win.

“You’re welcome, Anxiety. Perhaps you could tell me your name now? Y’know, since we've been so close and a-”

“Not a chance.”

“Ah well, better luck next time.”


End file.
